


Starlight Connections

by RedWyvern



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28267641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedWyvern/pseuds/RedWyvern
Summary: For Hawksong! Happy Winter Exchange. <3
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13
Collections: Bookclub Winter Fic Exchange 2020





	Starlight Connections

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HawkSong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HawkSong/gifts).



“Which one is that?” Alphinaud asked from his spot by the fireplace, the young elezen surrounded by boxes and torn open postal wrapping, a pen in hand as he attempted some form of organization as Alisaie opened one of the carefully packed boxes. They had just gotten the delivery not a bell prior, eagerly retreating to their private rooms and library to look into the gifts. The included letter explained it to be from the Archons, each having chosen an ornament from their respective city state that they were tasked with observing. 

“It’s from Y’shtola, from Limsa Lominsa..” She replied, holding up an intricately detailed carved ship for her brother to see before she pulled it closer to look at. It fit neatly in her palm, but looked as if it were plucked from the waters, only growing more detailed as she carefully inserted the metallic mast that had come with it so that it looked like the ship on the city flag. “I do believe it’s carved whale bone, and silver. What did she say they called this carving style?”

“Scrimshaw.” Alphinaud replied as he wrote down the item on his list. “Though I wonder how it fits with the Starlight mythos?” He reached over for the box it had come in, picking through the packing material and pulling out a small scroll. “Ah. Here.” 

Alisaie hummed as she held the ship up by the attached string, tilting her head a bit as she gently twisted it around in the light. “I imagine the Limosans say the Saint travels by boat.” 

“An astute assumption. The included scroll does detail their variant, and it only does make sense, with the small island settlements scattered about Vylbrand.” The young boy unrolled the scroll further, tilting his head a bit as he scanned over the parchment. “This says the legend of Mistbeard has even been associated more recently as a guise for the Saint.”

Laughing, Alisaie stood and stepped over to the slightly crooked, not the most full tree that was set up in the twins library, carefully hanging the intricate ornament from a sturdy branch, adjusting the lighting around it to focus a bit more on the ornament, smiling as it caused the silver to shine. “A pirate Saint? That almost seems  _ too  _ obvious for the Lominsans, but it certainly tracks.” 

Alphinaud chuckled as he added the scroll to a pile at his side, carefully smoothing it down and setting a weight to help coax the paper into a flat shape again. Knowing how curious the twins were in general, each of the Archons had made a point to include something to explain their gifts. “Indeed, all of Eorzea seems to have taken the Ishgardian tradition and melded it to their own, but keeping the nature of the Saint intact at the core.”

“Seems fitting, from what Grandfather has told us about the people there.” Alisaie reached up to adjust a small stuffed moogle ornament, nodding to herself once it was placed just right.

“So much in common, yet different. Truly there is no place quite like it.” Alphinaud held up an open box to his sister as she stepped back over to him, reaching in for the ornament, a carved wooden sleigh. “This one is from Papalymo and Gridania. They’re the most in line with Ishgardian tradition, of the other cities, he says you could find a sled like this in Ishgard too. You should put it by that moogle from Yda, since they’re both from Gridania.” He considered a moment, glancing out the window at the late afternoon light and the thick clouds that hung low in the sky, promising snow.

“Do you ever wish we were older? So that we could join Grandfather, and the Archons?” Alisaie quietly mused, turning the bit of wood over in her hands, lightly stroking her thumb over the carving on the side of it. She didn’t vocalize what they both knew, that Alisaie desired to know what it was that kept their Grandfather there, and not with them. The little gifts and tidbits of knowledge shared from the Archons helped, but for Alisaie especially, the distance from their Grandfather ached inside.

Alphinaud jotted down notes of the ornament Alisaie held, nodding to the question. “Full often do I.” He watched his sister hang the sleigh, letting his eyes drift over the humble tree. It was a marked difference from the rest of the decorations in their home, their mother making a point at coordination and emphasizing a color theme in every one of the main rooms with things placed  _ just so _ , but had granted the twins leave to have their own tree, as long as it was tucked away in the private chambers, and far from sight of any visitors to the manor over the season. It was a scraggly thing their stablemaster had cut down for them, lit with sparkling white lights and hung with the hodgepodge of ornaments made and collected over the years. The gifts from the Archons took front stage of the most ideal hanging points, Alisaie making a point to highlight them with the hanging lights. He liked their tree the best, if he were honest about it.

“You know, I like our tree the best.” Alisaie echoed his quiet thoughts, always the more vocal about her thinking than her sibling. She crouched and rummaged through the packaging, pulling out the small box from Thancred in Ul’dah, showing Alphinaud the ornament; a spriggan holding a snowman, giving it an amused look herself as she turned to find a place to hang it. 

“I do as well.” Alphinaud replied, looking about at the boxes to make sure they were all opened and emptied. Satisfied that they were as he jotted down note of the spriggan, he stood and stepped to his desk, setting the list aside and picking up his sketchbook. 

Alisaie giggled lightly as she shuffled through the postal wrapping and caused the paper to rustle and crinkle like dried autumn leaves, taking out a few of the carefully tied bows and strings from the packaging to add to the tree. “I understand that spriggan’s are a nuisance to miners and can undermine the stability of a mine with their activities but I do find them adorable. I imagine they would enjoy the sparkle of the holiday.” She mused as she tied a bit of red string above the little black creature. Glancing over to Aphinaud, she quirked a brow. “Are you going to draw the tree to show Grandfather?” She asked when she spied the pad held in Alphinaud’s hand. 

He nodded, sitting down on the floor a distance back so that he could see his subject clearly, resting the sketchbook on his knees as he considered. “While I do dearly hope that he has a chance to come home, even for a day, I realize that the aether required for the use of the aetheryte from such a long distance is significant and it would do him better to save such energy for things there with the Empire paying no mind to the spirit of the season.” Alphinaud reasoned away his disappointment and sadness, straightening his shoulders a bit as he chose to focus on the joy of the tree. He had opted to sketch with a piece of graphite first, resolving to add a touch of color afterwards.

“Aye.” Alisaie softly replied as she briefly made a bunch of noise gathering up the discarded postal papering to be used as kindling for the fire, setting the boxes aside to be packed away while the display was up. Smiling, she picked up Augustine, the ancient white cat that had once belonged to their Grandmother, from the spot he had curled up in the biggest box. Moving to sit down at her brother's side, she set the large cat in her lap and settled into stroking his fur, watching the tree and occasionally glancing over to watch her brother’s work. While the tree itself as sketched looked more scraggly than the thing actually was, the detail he put into the ornament placement drew a smile to her lips. 

A light sigh of quiet comfort escaped her as she leaned her head to Alphinaud’s shoulder, settling close and relaxing as evening fell outside, the lights of the tree and candles in the room highlighting the decorations, the silver icicles hung from the branches catching the light and scattering it, adding further sparkle to it all. Outside, the sound of the watch bell rang in slow chimes to mark the time as the last of the daylight faded, streetlights slowly brightening and casting a soft blue light over the streets. “Happy Starlight, Alphinaud. May the gods grace us with the presence of our loved ones, or at the least with their safety and good health as another season passes.” 

Alphinaud smiled lightly as Alisaie leaned into his side, murmuring a soft reply. “Happy Starlight, Alisaie.” Silence settled on the pair, content to pass the time in close, quiet comfort as outside, snow began to fall. 


End file.
